Ring-bearer

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Ring-bearer is a title used for those individuals who, at some point in their life, carried and/or wore the One Ring. It is most often used to refer to Frodo Baggins, as his carrying the Ring was common knowledge among the Fellowship of the Ring. Elrond as well as various members of the Fellowship, all refer to Frodo by this title. Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam all received a great deal of honor from the elves as Ring-bearers, including the privilege of sailing to the Undying Lands with them.

The term Ring-bearer could also be used for anyone who wore a ring of power. Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring seems to refer to herself as a Ring-bearer. In this sense, the title would be granted to those who possessed the Seven Rings of the Dwarves, the Nine Rings of Men, and the Three Rings of the Elves. Eventually all Ring-bearers left Middle-earth.

[edit] List of Ring-bearers

• The One Ring (see also the list of the One Ring-bearers by date)
  • Sauron
  • Isildur
  • Déagol
  • Sméagol, later known as Gollum
  • Bilbo Baggins
  • Frodo Baggins
  • Samwise Gamgee
• The Three Rings
  • Galadriel (Nenya)
  • Gil-galad (Vilya)
  • Elrond (Vilya)
  • Cirdan (Narya)
  • Gandalf (Narya)
• The Nine Rings
  • The Witch-king of Angmar
  • Khamûl
  • Seven unnamed Ringwraiths